Orangetheory Fitness, a national franchise, will continue its expansion in the greater Seattle area this fall, opening its third location on the Eastside in Mercer Island’s new Hadley building.
The gym will occupy 3,350 square feet in the building, currently under construction on 76th Avenue Southeast. Orangetheory will join pizzeria Mioposto and two other tenants.
There are many gyms on the Island, but Orangetheory will bring a unique group fitness option, said Steffenie Evans of Legacy Partners, the firm managing the Hadley building.
“Mercer Island has been on our list from the very beginning,” said Tyler Abbott, a broker for Ironwood Commercial Real Estate who has been involved with Orangetheory’s expansion in Washington. “We wanted to be in the downtown core area, so it was a matter of waiting for the right project to come along.”
At Orangetheory, gym goers are fitted with heart rate monitors before their 60-minute workout, which is meant “to keep heart rates in a target zone that stimulates metabolism and increases energy,” called the “orange zone.” They can see their workout statistics, as well as the stats of others in the class, projected on monitors in the studio.
But this isn’t meant to be intimidating, said Dave Lovell, operations manager for Orangetheory Fitness in Washington.
The multiple intervals and mix of cardio and strength training are designed to produce 12 to 20 minutes of training at 84 percent or higher of your maximum heart rate. This leads to an “afterburn” effect — an increased metabolic rate for 24 to 36 hours after the workout — meaning you’re burning more calories long after your workout is over.
“With the heart rate monitor format, you can get two different people in vastly different shape, but they’re working just as hard,” Abbott said. “It levels the playing field.”
Orangetheory also takes the guesswork out of creating workouts that will get results, Abbott said. Each session is led by “energetic and encouraging” trainers that can observe the performance of each person in the class, and who get to know their clients on a personal level, Lovell said.
“You have somebody to help you and tell you if you’re doing something wrong,” Lovell said. “Big box gyms want you to sign up, but not show up.”
The first class at Orangetheory is always free, and people are encouraged to come in a little early to learn about the class format and the monitoring system.
Legacy was selective and thoughtful with the tenants of the building, said broker Monica Wallace of Wallace Properties, and will announce the third tenant soon.
Before the opening in November or December, Orangetheory will do some guerrilla marketing in Mercer Island and sign up potential gym members for its six-week weight loss challenge. One male and one female winner will receive a $5,000 prize. Discounted rates may also be available before the official opening.
“It’s to create awareness of what we’re doing,” Lovell said. “We’re about results.”
Orangetheory workouts can stand on their own but are also designed to be complimentary to other programs, Lovell said, from weight training to yoga.
“There’s a lot on Mercer Island already,” Abbott said. “You can continue to do that and add Orangetheory into your routine.”
For more, see www.orangetheoryfitness.com.
